Lawmakers have proposed a number of “solutions” to the problem of illegal immigration, from amnesty programs to mass deportations. But one conservative Republican says the key to discouraging illegal immigration is to hit the employers who hire them right where it counts: in the wallet.

“We can no longer attack illegal immigration on the supply side without attacking the demand side,” Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) said Monday while promoting legislation she will introduce to provide for detention, mandatory deportation and expedited removal of any illegal alien arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).

The “Scott Gardner Act” is in response to the death of one of Myrick’s constituents, who was killed by an illegal alien with five previous DUI convictions. While the DUI legislation received widespread coverage from the “mainstream” media, Myrick’s plan to reduce the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S. received almost no attention.

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Myrick plans to call the legislation the “10k Run for the Border Act,” a name she said is “self-explanatory.”

“I am no mathematician, but if North Carolina has 300,000 illegal aliens and just half of them are employed,” Myrick said, “this action could raise at least $1.2 billion that could be rolled back into the fight against illegal immigration.”

Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a group that supports stricter border control and enforcement of immigration laws, told Cybercast News Service that more will have to change than just the amount of the fine.

“You could make the penalty a billion dollars; it wouldn’t matter if you’re not going to impose it against anybody,” said Mehlman, who claimed that no fines were imposed on employers for hiring illegal aliens in 2004. “The first thing they have to do is actually start fining employers.”

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